Partitioning of trace metals between particulate,colloidal and truly dissolved fractions in a polluted river: the Upper Vistula River (Poland)

Metal partitioning depends on the physical–chemical conditions of a system and can be affected by anthropogenic inputs. In this study, the authors report the results of trace metal partitioning between particulate (>1.2 μm), colloidal (1.2 μm–1 kDa) and truly dissolved (<1 kDa) fractions in the polluted section of the Upper Vistula River compared with the non-polluted headwaters. It was found that the salt input in the Vistula River induced a decrease of colloid concentration and the increase of suspended particulate matter. Compared with upstream from the polluted section, the metal concentrations (Co, Cu, Cr, Mn and Zn) in the colloidal fraction were lower. It was mainly due to the rapid colloid coagulation at increased salinity, the competition with ligands and major ions (Ca and Mg) and the weak mobility of metals associated with particles at the pollution sources.     

Reflection of the glacial-interglacial cycle in the evolution of the Vistula river Basin, Poland

A variety of factors has controlled the evolution of the Vistula river valley. They include climatically induced changes of the river runoff and sediment load, glacial advances and rapid variations of the base level, as well as the influence of the tectonic factor. The first-order climatic cycles are reflected in separate terrace fills. The second-order fluctuations may be represented by separate cuts and fills, by the change of the facies or by the change in the granulometric composition. The analysis of the changes in the longitudinal profile helped to discover a great variety of different valley reaches and a general tendency to smooth the long profile during the Quaternary.     

重庆老龙洞地下河间隙水重金属污染及毒性评估

为查明重庆岩溶地区老龙洞地下河重金属污染情况,于2013年9月采集了地下河上覆水体和表层沉积物间隙水共7组水样,用ICP-OES测定地下河上覆水体和表层沉积物间隙水中的Mn含量,ICP-MS测定Cu、Cd、Cr、As和Pb含量,分析了老龙洞地下河表层沉积物间隙水中各重金属元素的空间分布,对不同介质中的重金属元素进行相关性分析,并参考美国EPA推荐的“国家推荐水质标准”对间隙水中重金属可能产生的生物毒性进行评估。结果表明：老龙洞地下河上覆水体中Mn和Pb的浓度超过了GB 5749-2006规定的生活饮用水限值（Mn≤100 ug/L,Pb≤10 ug/L）,不可作为饮用水源;间隙水中各重金属元素的浓度都比上覆水体高,有向上覆水体扩散的潜在可能性。除Pb、Mn外,间隙水中重金属的含量大小依次为上游>中游>下游。上覆水中除Mn与As、Cd与Cr外,其他金属元素之间的相关性不大;间隙水中Cr、Cu、As和Cd的相关系数分别为0.895～0.997,呈高度正相关。间隙水中金属元素除As不会对水生生态系统产生急性毒性外,Cr、Cu、Cd和Pb都会对水生生态系统产生急性毒性,尤以Cr、Cu、Cd最为严重。     

Channel processes as a factor controlling accumulation of heavy metals in river bottom sediments: consequences for pollution monitoring (Upper Silesia, Poland)

 An evaluation of the influence of channel processes (erosion, accumulation, processing of channel sediments) on the dispersal of heavy metals in bottom sediments was carried out in the channels of the Sztoła and Biała Przemsza rivers in Upper Silesia, Poland. These rivers receive waters from a Zn and Pb mine. Mine waters transport a large amount of fine-grained sediments contaminated with heavy metals. The polluted material is accumulated in these stream courses and mixed with nearly homogeneous sandy sediment derived from erosion of the river banks and bed. Because these alluvia are easily set in motion, the distribution of heavy metal concentration in the channel in fraction <1 mm reflects differences in physical processes of sedimentation in its cross-section. The minimal values in active channel and maximal in the near-bank zone are typical for those channel sections where heavy metals, present in a solid state, are transported as a suspended load (normally the largest part of a polluted river course). In short sections heavy metals associated with the grains of a large mass which has accumulated in the active channel are transported as a bed load and the typical distribution pattern is reversed (in fractions both <1 mm and <0.063 mm). Such regularities can be disturbed in localities where strong, turbulent flow or frequent eddying occur and Mn oxides and hydrooxides and associated elements precipitate. The smallest variation in heavy metal concentration in the homogenous, fine-grained bank sediments which are trapped by plants below water level is a feature which recommends these localities as being the most suitable for monitoring of river pollution. Received: 11 November 1997 · Accepted: 12 March 1998     

Successive subglacial depositional processes as interpreted from basal tills in the Lower Vistula valley (N Poland)

Three basal-till facies from the Lower Vistula valley were examined. The lowest facies, a sandy diamicton with characteristic sand inclusions forming detached and attenuated folds, is overlain by a bedded till characterized by alternating diamictons and sorted sediment layers. The uppermost till facies is a homogeneous diamicton.The three till facies must have been formed by complex subglacial sedimentary processes during the first Late Weichselian ice advance. The lowest till facies is interpreted as a deformation till, and accumulated during the initial stage of the ice advance. The middle facies represents a stagnation phase during the initial ice advance, and was deposited during recurrent periods of subglacial melt-out followed by meltwater sedimentation. The upper till facies was deposited by direct subglacial melt-out during a stage of stagnant ice.It is suggested that bed deformation and temporarily enhanced basal sliding have been caused by ice streaming at the time of the ice-sheet advance and just before its stagnation.     

Heavy metal contamination in overbank sediments of the Geul river (East Belgium): Its relation to former Pb-Zn mining activities

Overbank sediments of the Geul River (East Belgium) are highly contaminated by the heavy metals Pb, Zn, and Cd due to former Pb-Zn mining activities in the drainage basin. Geochemical variations in vertical overbank sediment profiles sampled 1 km north of the mine tailings of Plombiéres allow metal fluxes back to the 17th century to be reconstructed. The vertical profiles are subdivided into three major units corresponding to different industrial periods based on sedimentological criteria as well as on the distribution of contaminants. Alluvial sediments with the highest heavy metal concentrations correspond to the major period of mining activity of the 19th century. The fact that Zn mining at the La Calamine open mine started before large-scale mining of the PbS-ZnS subsurface exploitations is reflected in the vertical profiles by an increase in Zn content before a marked increase in Pb and Cu. The regional extent of contamination in the alluvial deposits was evaluated on the basis of the geochemical analysis of sediments at depths of the 0–20 cm and 80–100 cm. Most of the upper samples are extremely contaminated. Significant local variations in heavy metal concentration in the lower samples are interpreted in terms of which overbank sediment horizon has been sampled at a depth of 80–100 cm. This indicates that blind sampling of overbank sediments to characterize the degree of contamination in shallow boreholes can give very erratic results.     

Heavy metal contamination in the sediment of the Second Songhua River

The Second Songhua River was subjected to a large amount of untreated effluent from petrochemical industries in Jilin City in the 1960s to the 1970s. The objectives of this study were to investigate the mercury and other heavy metal contamination in the sediment of the river. The river bottom sediment was sampled from the river segment between Jilin City to Haerbin City in 2005. Total concentrations of Hg, Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, Zn, Ni, As, Sc, and major cations （A1, Fe, Mg, Ca, K, Na） in the sediment were measured by atomic fluorescence spectrometer, ICP-MS, and ICP-OES, respectively, following digestion with various acids. We found the concentrations of most elements in the uncontaminated sediment were significantly correlated to those of Sc.     

Water quality assessment of the Jinshui River (China) using multivariate statistical techniques

Multivariate statistical techniques have been widely utilized to assess water quality and evaluate aquatic ecosystem health. In this study, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, and factor analysis techniques are applied to analyze the physical and chemical variables in order to evaluate water quality of the Jinshui River, a water source area for an interbasin water transfer project of China. Cluster analysis classifies 12 sampling sites with 22 variables into three clusters reflecting the geo-setting and different pollution levels. Discriminant analysis confirms the three clusters with nine discriminant variables including water temperature, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, pH, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, turbidity, bicarbonate, and potassium. Factor analysis extracts five varifactors explaining 90.01% of the total variance and representing chemical component, oxide-related process, natural weathering and decomposition processes, nutrient process, and physical processes, respectively. The study demonstrates the capacity of multivariate statistical techniques for water quality assessment and pollution factors/sources identification for sustainable watershed management.     

Origin of polyhalite deposits in the Zechstein (Upper Permian) Zdrada platform (northern Poland)

Polyhalite deposits in the Zechstein (Upper Permian) of northern Poland occur in the Lower Werra Anhydrite. In the Zdrada Sulphate Platform, the polyhalite appears to be a very early replacement of anhydrite. The replacement was caused by the halite-precipitating brines which contained potassium and magnesium ions. The formation of polyhalite was preceded by the syndepositional anhydritization of the original gypsum deposit which has often preserved its primary textures. This anhydritization on the platform and its slopes was a reaction of the precipitated gypsum in a hydrologically open evaporite basin, with brines of salt basins adjacent to the sulphate platform. These brines, when nearly saturated with respect to halite, and potassium and magnesium rich, reacted with anhydrite to precipitate polyhalite along the slopes of the Zdrada Platform. The oxygen and sulphur isotopic compositions of sulphate evaporites indicate that marine solutions were the only source of sulphate ions supplied to the Zechstein basin, and that anhydrite was transformed to polyhalite by reaction with marine brines more concentrated than those that precipitated precursor calcium sulphate minerals.     

Endangering of the Upper Jurassic karst-fissured aquifer in the Krakow Upland (southern Poland)

 A karst-fissured aquifer in the Upper Jurassic carbonate rocks of the Krakow Upland shows a very high yield (safe yield 117 000 m³/day) and belongs to the major groundwater basins (MGBs) of Poland. The uncovered character of the aquifer and its hydraulic structure favor the intensive infiltration and migration of anthropogenic pollutants from the surface. This pollution is caused by agriculture and industry in the proximity of Krakow and the Upper Silesian agglomeration. Progressive degradation of groundwater quality on a regional scale results. Evaluation of the endangering of the aquifer studied is based on the analysis of the time interval of vertical water percolation from the surface, the time interval of groundwater horizontal flow through the aquifer and the duration of water residence in the aquifer derived from tritium data. Quaternary and Cretaceous overburden occur in the Krakow Upland in addition to numerous outcrops of limestones. The time interval of vertical water percolation in highly permeable limestones does not exceed 3 years and in the areas covered by overburden it is from several to 50 years. The mean effective time interval of horizontal groundwater flow through the Upper Jurassic rocks along the flow paths ranges from several months in the areas of direct drainage to over 15 years in the elevated areas of local groundwater divides. The age of water in the rock matrix was determined using tritium data interpreted according to an exponential model and it ranges from 70 years to over 130 years. In karst-fissured systems with a high retardation index (R_p=21) the effective time of water circulation in local drainage basins does not exceed 7 years. The Krakow-Wieluń Upland is the most extensive and uniform karst region in Poland. It is a belt of Upper Jurassic limestone extending from Krakcow in the southeast to Wieluń in the northwest on the northeast slope of the Silesian Upland. Residual hills of Paleogene age separated by infilled karst depressions are the most characteristic features of the Krakow-Wieluń Upland. More than 800 small caves are known in this area, but only two of them reach 1 km of aggregate passage length (Gazek and others 1992). Received: 4 December 1996 · Accepted: 29 April 1997     

湘江入湖河段沉积物重金属污染及其Pb同位素地球化学示踪

湘江是我国重金属污染最严重的河流之一.本次工作利用等离子质谱(ICP-MS)和多接收同位素质谱(MC-ICP-MS)等技术,对湘江入湖河段沉积物进行了系统的重金属微量元素和Pb同位素分析.结果表明,湘江河床沉积物明显富集Bi、Sc、V、Mn、Ni、Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、Sn、Sb等多种重金属微量元素,而湖盆沉积物重金...     

Geochemical characterization and heavy metal contamination of groundwater in Satluj River Basin

Groundwater, a renewable and finite natural resource, vital for man’s life, social and economic development and a valuable component of the ecosystem, is vulnerable to natural and human impacts. The aim of present study is to evaluate hydrogeochemical parameters and heavy metals in groundwater and to study their spatial distribution in the Rupnagar District of Punjab. The spatial distribution of physico-chemical parameters were studied using Arc GIS 9.2. It was observed that the concentration of parameters, such as NO₃, Cd, Cr, Mn and Pb was above permissible limit (World Health Organization, WHO) in southern part of the study area. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) was calculated for all sampling locations and it was found much above the critical limit of pollution. Geochemical reaction models of selected water groups were constructed using Phreeqc. Geochemical modeling suggests that sodium has source other than halite-albite and calcium has alternate source other than gypsum-carbonate or silicates. It also suggests that evaporites, ion exchange, dissolution along with anthropogenic activities are controlling the hydro-geochemistry of groundwater in the region. Various indices, such as heavy metal pollution index, permeability index, sodium adsorption ratio, were studied to verify suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation.     

Assessment of heavy metal contamination levels of street dust in the city of Lublin,E Poland

Heavy metals are constantly emitted into the environment and pose a major threat to human health, particularly in urban areas. The threat is linked to the presence of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in street dust, which consists of mineral and organic particles originating from the soil, industrial emitters, motor vehicles, and fuel consumption. The study objective was to determine the level of street dust contamination with trace metals in Lublin and to indicate their potential sources of origin. The analyses were carried out with an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The sampling sites (49) were located within the city streets characterised by varying intensity of motor traffic. The following mean content values and their variation (SD) were determined: Cd: 5.1?±?1.7 mg kg^?1, Cr: 86.4?±?23.3 mg kg^?1, Cu: 81.6?±?69.2 mg kg^?1, Ni: 16.5?±?3.9 mg kg^?1, Pb: 44.1?±?16.4 mg kg^?1, and Zn: 241.1?±?94.6 mg kg^?1. The level of pollution was assessed with several widely used geochemical indices (geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor, pollution index, index of ecological risk, and potential ecological risk index). For most of the indices, the mean (median) values are arranged in the following manner: Zn?>?Cu(or Cd)?>?Pb?>?Ni?>?Cr. In general, street dust in Lublin does not show pollution with Cr, Ni, and Pb. I_geo and EF indices show moderate levels for Cu, Cd, and Zn; their presence in street dust is linked with anthropogenic factors (motor traffic). A significant threat is posed by Cd, and more than half of the samples show considerable pollution with cadmium (median for the index of ecological risk: 151). The spatial pattern of indices and the results of statistical analyses (CA, PCA) indicate three groups of elements: (1) Cr and Ni: natural origin; (2) Pb: mixed origin; and (3) Cd, Cu, and Zn: anthropogenic origin (mainly motor vehicle traffic). Higher content values for metals of anthropogenic origin in street dust indicate that it is a source of pollution of soil and air in the city.     

Short-lived vegetational and environmental change during the Preboreal in the Biebrza Upper Basin (NE Poland)

A pollen diagram from the upper Biebrza basin (NE Poland) shows a conspicuous pollen fluctuation around 9650 BP, which is superimposed on a broader pollen fluctuation correlated with a more open vegetation phase during the Preboreal generally found in Europe. High-resolution pollen analyses indicate a duration of only a few years in which Pinus forests became more open. The resulting niches were partly occupied by Betula trees and partly by Betula shrubs, Artemisia, and Chenopodiaceae. Shortly before the increased opening of the upland vegetation, reed vegetation developed in the valley, in which Sparganium and later Typha became prominent. At the end of the short fluctuation, this reed vegetation diminished. The wetland vegetation development might be partly related to hydrological changes caused by a reduced evapotranspiration of the opened upland forest. The data presented here show that the open vegetation phase of the Preboreal was not of uniform character, but that within its short time span of ca 150 years an even shorter fluctuation of a few years to a few decades occurred. It is unknown whether this is a regionally restricted phenomenon or whether it has an extra-regional character.     

Strontium distribution and celestite occurrence in Zechstein (Upper Permian) anhydrites of West Poland

The previous study showed that the Zechstein (Upper Permian) anhydrites have about 0.2% strontium with a remarkably small sample scatter. Our study of three lower Zechstein anhydrite units (Lower Anhydrite, Upper Anhydrite and Basal Anhydrite) from West Poland indicate that although often the Sr content is 0.1–0.2%, there are common deviations. In particular, a considerable part (28%) of the studied samples is characterized by lower values (<0.1%), and on the other hand ca. 15% of samples are Sr-enriched, and in those samples celestite was recorded. Particular anhydrite levels differ especially in the frequency of samples showing great Sr content. The greatest variation was found in the Lower Anhydrite. This agrees well with the conclusion derived from the sedimentological studies indicating that there was the greatest differentiation of depositional environments during the deposition of the Lower Anhydrite. The Sr content is a good indicator of brine concentration during the gypsum precipitation and it seems that the subsequent gypsum–anhydrite transformation itself does not affect the strontium distribution. The histograms of Sr content in the Basal Anhydrite indicate a slightly higher brine concentration than it was during the Lower Anhydrite deposition, and the latter in turn was higher than brine concentration during the Upper Anhydrite sedimentation. Celestite veins are clearly diagenetic in origin. The form of celestite occurrence and the increased strontium content (1% or more) indicate an additional source of ions that occurred outside the anhydrite series. In the case of the Lower Anhydrite, the supposed additional source of Sr was related to aragonite-to-calcite transition and squeezing of CaCl₂ brines from reefs into anhydrite series due to increased pressure. For the Basal Anhydrite this source could be related to brines derived from the Older Halite deposits.     

Geochemistry of surface sediments and heavy metal contamination assessment: Messolonghi lagoon complex,Greece

The Messolonghi lagoon complex in Western Greece receives agricultural and domestic effluents both from point and diffused sources. Surface sediments were analyzed for grain size, organic carbon, total nitrogen, total sulfur, major and minor elements, aiming at the identification of geochemical relationships between all variables. Enrichment factors and the modified degree of contamination methods were applied to assess potential heavy metal enrichment related to human activities. Sediment texture was highly variable, with muddy sediments prevailing. In the central sector of the Messolonghi lagoon, organic carbon contents were high. Principal factor analysis revealed the following main groups of variables with common geochemical behavior: (1) terrigenous aluminosilicates (2) organic matter, (3) biogenic carbonates, (4) mineral quartz-aluminosilicates, and (5) Mn-oxides. Enrichment factors estimated for V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb using local pre-industrial sediment showed that all metals exhibit almost natural background levels, except for Pb, which was found to be slightly elevated (legacy of leaded fuel). Estimation of contamination factors concluded in similar results, whereas the overall modified degree of contamination was at the lowest level, therefore suggesting that this transitional water body has not been affected by anthropogenic activities. The data set may be considered as a baseline for future monitoring projects according to EU policy.     

Multivariate analysis of sediment data from the upper and middle Odra River (Poland)

River pollution data are characterized by high variability. Multivariate statistical methods help to determine a complex set of these multidimensional data and to extract latent information (e.g. differently polluted areas, discharges). The chemometric methods can handle interactions between different pollutants and relationships among various sampling locations. This study presents an application of multivariate data analysis in the field of environmental pollution. The dataset consists of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Mn, Pb and Zn contents of sediment samples collected in the upper and middle Odra River (Poland) in three sampling campaigns (November 1998, June 1999, and May 2000). As chemometric tools cluster analysis (CA), multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant analysis (MVDA) and factor analysis (FA) were used to investigate the matrix of 60 sampling points.     

永定河上游水体与底泥中污染物的分布规律

永定河上游官厅水库到三家店段水体和底泥淤积物中的污染物分布受上游工农业生产等人类活动控制。当人类活动较弱时，水体中绝大部分污染物自然降解明显，苯并（a）芘等一些有害组分的降解速率还十分迅速。虽然官厅水库水体中重金属元素低于国家标准，但河流淤泥中重金属元素聚集明显，淤泥中有引发“化学定时炸弹”的可能性。永定河上游河流底泥中大量多环芳烃污染物的积累情况说明，官厅水库上游及永定河沿途不充分燃烧的燃料可以导致水体的严重污染。